Just An Accident
by HardcoreTwins
Summary: After his rival stole his date for an upcoming Valentines Day dance, all Numbuh 4 wanted was revenge... but God! Not like this! Now he's in too deep and it doesn't stop there!
1. It Started With a Girl

**A/N: I'm taking time away from my other account. I need to get my ideas together and what better way to do that than a new story. I appreciate reviews and opinions. I don't know how long this story will be. I will keep updating the best I can.**

 **I'm sorry if it's blunt or too short. I haven't written anything in years. So I'm trying to get back into the feel of writing again.**  
 **Pretty please review. And enjoy.**

 **Nothing belongs to me.**

* * *

Numbuh 4 ran into his room from the basement located beneath his father's shed and slammed the door behind him. He was sweating, his eyes were wide, and he was covered in blood fresh from the night. Stunned from regret and bad decision-making, He dropped a bag containing duct tape, a face mask, and several other items he felt he needed to complete the task at hand. Leaning against a wall, he allowed himself to whimper while slowly sliding down to sit, his face now in his knees. He reached up and clutched his hair, slamming the back of his head into the wall. How could he let things get so far? Everything happened too fast! He wasn't ready for any of this!  
It was all just an accident!

* * *

 **Flashback:**

The doors to Gallagher Elementary burst open with children flying in all directions. In the halls were brightly colored hearts and streamers decorating the walls, doors, and even the ceiling. It was enough pink to make your insides wish they could scream. Everything in sight was adorned with hearts and kissy faces. But who could blame the students? Everybody was so excited about the upcoming Valentines Day Dance at school. Everybody except...

"Hey Numbuh 4!" Numbuh 2 ran to catch up to his shorter friend. "Who are you going to the dance with?" He raised an eyebrow as if he didn't already know. Numbuh 4 replied with a grunt.

"The only way you'd find me at some lovey dovey smoochy party is if I were dead!" he retorted, loathing every idea that came with this topic.  
"C'mon! Nows your chance to ask Numbuh 3 out! This weekend would be perfect for you!" Numbuh 2 tried to argue.

"W-what?!" Numbuh 4 nearly shouted, "I'm not asking her to some lame school dance! And who are you giving me ideas for dates, huh? I don't see YOU asking anyone out." He crossed his arms in defense, and slight denial.

Numbuh 5 appeared from behind Hoagie sliding her arm around the wider boy's shoulders, giving Numbuh 4 the same "you-were-saying" expression. Numbuh 4 was quiet.

"Well, Numbuh 5 thinks the sooner you do it, the better." Numbuh 4 looked away from their all-knowing looks of incrimination. Numbuh 5 took his silence as an answer and raised her palms in defense. "Look, all Numbuh 5 is saying is that you can't keep a girl waiting forever." And with that the pair made their way down the sidewalk leaving an emotionally distressed Wally pondering what he should do.

"Cruddy Sheila," he grumbled under his breath, "making my head hurt thinking about my feelings and stuff." He began walking home to "not" think about the stupid school dance. Kicking a rock, his eyes wandered over to the opposite side of the sidewalk, where a glimpse of green stood out among the other faceless figures in his vision. Almost instantly, he could feel the heat build from his stomach to his face. He felt his heart skip a beat at the thought that he was now visibly blushing and quickly turned his head to hide it. Trying his hardest to slip away unnoticed, he couldn't tune out the all too familiar laugh in the distance, which made a genuine smile creep onto his face. His friends were right. This cruddy girl had him head over heels. But how was he just supposed to tell her that? Would she even like him back? There's no way he could tell her what she really does to him, only to find she didn't like him back. So, what if he does ask her to the school dance? She wouldn't take it seriously. He shrugged and decided that the dance was as good a place to start as any. He could learn to trust himself with others in time. He turned to gaze at her once more, but his heart dropped back into his stomach upon looking at her. It wasn't her laughter that was killing him now. No, it was the cool, Hispanic Kid that was causing it.

From the distance Wally could see his rival, Ace, casually talking to Kuki, an action that was making her grin and cover her face with her sleeve. _Was she blushing?_ Wally thought. He stood on the sidewalk, books in hand, face hardening, fist clenching, staring at the two with the same envy and anger he had for years when he'd see them together like this. _Flirting._

Kuki waved Ace goodbye and skipped off. Ace remained where he was, watching her leave. Wally never took his eyes of him. Even after Ace had turned to look at him from that distance.

It was over. He was too late. Kuki would never love him now. He'd never get the chance to tell her how he felt without knowing he'd be rejected. She'll never know how much she truly meant to him. And he only has himself to blame

* * *

He should have asked her sooner. Now she's going to the cruddy dance with Ace.

He angrily paced his room in the treehouse, feeling more heartbroken than actual anger. He felt like crying! But god forbid someone should walk in on him having a sentimental moment.

 _'She's going to dance with that bloke! And then kiss him! And then fall in love with him... forever!_ ' He thought to himself. He angrily laughed at himself, at how weak he was being right now. _'This is pathetic!_ ' He thought.

Wallabee Beatles was a mean kid. When people looked at him, they saw the tough exterior they wanted to see, and for that reason, Wally always felt the need to keep up his rude act, never allowing anyone to get close enough to see what's on the inside. It hurt when he did this, but it hurt even more not protecting himself from it. Like all the years he spent being neglected and bullied. All the years he spent wondering why everyone hated him so much. All the years he spent crying himself to sleep feeling the ever-present need to erase the pain away. All the years he spent wondering how. After all these years, he came to one conclusion.

So every day after school, he'd come home and dig through his trash heap to find one of the many small knives hidden around his room. Drawing blood from his forearm relieved so much stress, like all the built up tension and hurt from the day was seamlessly pouring out, emptying all the pain. The only thing he learned from this was that physical pain hurt way less than emotional pain. He was unable to let anyone in. Trusting someone with his heart was handing someone his soul and trusting them not to hurt it, and heaven knows he couldn't handle the pain.

He hated himself, to be honest. He loved her though, but he knew what she wanted. She wanted to be cuddled and smooched and told how much she was loved. But he couldn't. He just couldn't. And he didn't have a reason why. Hell, she probably thinks he despised her, with all her girly features and interests. After all, there had to be a reason why he always shut her out.

And now, she'll never know the truth because she was with another guy.

Wally sat on the floor leaning against the wall letting lonely, bitter tears bleed from his eyes. Maybe it was a good thing. As much as he hated everyone, he couldn't help but feel like his ongoing suffering was good. Maybe Ace really wasn't a bad guy, like he was. He scoffed at that. _'Maybe she'd be happier with him.'_ He thought, looking around at the train wreck that was his room, his _life._ _'Maybe he's just better than me_.' He looked down at his wounds, both past and present. He sighed as he tucked his face into his knees. ' _He would never get angry at her like I would, and he'd never treat her favorite thing in the world like it was a disease.'_ He really did hate himself.

And this is how most days would end.

* * *

After school the next day, Kuki had boasted to everybody about her new bracelet, and how excited she was to have a date. It was a gift from Ace to let everyone know she was _his_. Which in retrospect, didn't make too much sense, as Kuki's wrist was seldom ever seen. Though that didn't matter. There was a select few people in the school who knew who it was _really_ speaking to.

Hoagie stood on one leg leaning against the lockers with his arms crossed watching Kuki"s oblivious antics. Wally was beside him, but kept his back turned to her as he emptied his things from his locker into his book bag in an agitated manner. All day, everyone was talking about Kuki and Ace, and he so badly wished that he could have a break, go to the bathroom, just _leave_. He ignored Hoagie's sympathetic look and turned to leave school. Hoagie let out a sigh and turned back to Kuki, disappointed in them both.

* * *

WHAM! Wally's fist came into contact with Ace's cheek, causing him to stumble back. The Kid wiped the blood forming on his mouth onto the sleeve of his jacket, looking at it annoyed. Wally spent hours trying to hunt the Kid down, to make him hurt the way he was hurting. It took longer than expected but he finally found him. Insults were thrown and when the short fused boy had enough, their fists were next. It was sun down now and even though they've been fighting for several minutes, Ace could tell he was already losing. Angrily, he ducked under the raging blonde hoping to get him off his feet. That was a bad decision. Wally, being closer to the ground and dangerously skilled in hand-to-hand combat, was surprisingly much heavier than he looked, which made the Kid tense up knowing what was about to happen.

On impulse, Wally brought his knee up so hard, you could hear the air forcefully leaving the Kid's chest. He smiled, thinking of the perfect way to finish this fight. He didn't have to think long though. He circled around the bruised Kid to sit on his back. Grabbing a fistful of what little blonde hair Ace had, he repeatedly slammed his face into the dirt until he was sure this Kid was out cold. He stood, brushing his hands off as he smiled down at his work. Now he can't go to the dance with Kuki! Not with that busted up face! He laughed at his victory and began walking away from the scene when he suddenly stopped mid step.

He turned his head to look in the direction of Ace's house. A thought slowly creeped into his mind which made his smile grow into a wicked grin.

* * *

The doors to Ace's one of a kind, brand new model vehicle were locked, but Numbuh 4 was notorious for car jacking, as well as various other skills required for a criminal mastermind. He was no criminal though. It was just another act of revenge for taking the only chance he had to be with the girl of his dreams. Besides, without this model, Ace would have nothing to compete with in this year's annual Engineering Challenge in a few weeks. Hoagie would definitely win now! That's two birds with one stone! And he'd do anything to help a friend.

Wally sat in the clean, dark leather driver's seat, rolling his eyes and chuckling at the inventor's lack of theft protection. You'd think by now they'd start installing doors that can't be unlocked with a wire coat hanger. He leaned in to strip a few wires from the box beneath the steering wheel and tying them together, causing the car to crank up. Wally let out a devilish laugh as he put the car in 'drive'.

Wally drove out of the drive way and into the road. He wasn't stealing it. He planned on giving it back... after some time? He gave a sigh and tried to take his mind off of everything. He wanted to focus on what was happening now, and he liked what was happening now. He let the windows down so the wind would breeze through his slightly sweaty hair cooling him down and making him feel so free. Not like the other times he commits misdemeanors, and miscellaneous other crimes. His heart was beating at an exciting pace; he's never felt so carefree. He felt true bliss as he turned onto block he left Ace. He had just pounded his rival's face into the ground, stolen his car, and now he was on his way to set fire to his workshop. Numbuh 4's final act of vengeance. Then there'd be no way to upgrade, or even build, new inventions. If tonight doesn't make Ace want to reconsider his date with Kuki, there was always tomorrow. He smiled to himself as he thought of seeing Ace's face when he tells him his plan. Nothing could ruin this night.

That is, until Wally saw Ace jumping into the street in front of him. Ace saw his model being driven towards him, with no doubt in his mind as to who was driving it. So he tried to stop Numbuh 4 before he could get past. Unfortunately, Wally didn't see him until he was several yards in front of him.

In a screaming panic, Wally slammed his foot on the brakes, which took extra effort considering his legs were too short for the vehicle. He squeezed the steering wheel in his tight fists and closed his eyes as hard as he could while the car collided with the limping person. Wally could hear the sound of a body ricochetting off of the hood as the car came to a stop. He held his statue pose, shaking timidly, in what was now dead silence.

After a moment spent processing what happened, he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was a rather large dent in the hood with little spots of blood trailing down towards the headlights. The wind shield wasn't broken, and neither was the headlights, but something inside Wally was. Shakily, he released his death grip on the wheel and pushed the gear into 'park'.

The headlights were beaming through the gusts of dirt caused by the tires as the door to the car clicked open. Quietly, Wally stepped towards the light in hopes to see Ace laying there in front of the car in one piece, harmlessly knocked out cold from simply hitting the hood too hard. Instead, his eyes were met with the grim sight of cold cement stained with the blood of a motionless young boy.


	2. Beginning of the End

**I appreciate reviews and I'll try to make the story better as time goes on. It's just really hard starting it, you know?**

 **I raised the rating from Teen to Mature, just in case there's bloody violence and slightly graphic scenes in the future. Plus, there will be more kidnapping and I don't just want to upset anyone.**

 **Please review and enjoy.**

* * *

Wally looked away from the scene, not wanting to fully accept it as real. Something inside him twisted and he felt himself crying tears of regret and sympathy for the Kid. He wanted to get even, not kill him! Even Ace didn't deserve this! And Kuki- Oh God! Kuki would never forgive him for this. How could she love him after hearing he was a cold-blooded killer?

Wally found himself on the ground next to Ace's extended, still arm. He carefully lowered his own and took the bloody hand in his. "I'm s-so sorry," he choked quietly, gently squeezing the hand. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry..." he trailed off, closing his eyes once more. 'What do I do? Oh God what do I do?' He thought to himself. He knew he should at the very least try to get him some help. Perhaps there was a way to revive him, save him. And maybe Kuki, and everyone else, would see him as a caring, responsible person and forgive him.

Unless Ace really was dead.

No matter how many times he apologizes, no matter how many times he tries to help, nothing could erase what he had done. No one would understand. All they'd see is a murderer trying to feel better about himself. In the end, he'd lose everything, and everyone. Even Hoagie would sever his ties with him, there'd be nothing left but jail. _Prison._

 _His life was over._

Thinking about which path to take only make the decision more clear. Wally had never been one for rationality, or even honesty for that matter. He'd been to the juvenile detention center and jail so many times, and he's never been afraid of taking chances. He's kept secrets in the past, some darker than others. Just as long as no one saw what happened.

His head instantly shot up. Looking around, he silently scolded himself for not thinking there could have been witnesses. In a brief panic, Wally ran to the car to grab his book bag. After digging through everything inside, he managed to find what he was searching for: a dark red and black colored bandana. He threw his bright orange sweater into the passenger's seat and wrapped the bandana around his nose and mouth, leaving his blonde hair and disturbed green eyes uncovered. Wally leaned forward and pulled a small switch, resulting in a popping sound near the rear of the vehicle.

Running back to the hood, Wally grabbed the same arm he held earlier and pulled the rest of the boy out from beneath the car. He gave a grumbling sound as he struggled with the Kid's weight. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem for Wally. He was strong enough to haul a couch out a window for crying out loud. But his hands were shaking timidly and his fingers were beginning to stain with the warm claret coming from Ace's body, which was causing his grasp to slip several times. Inch by inch, Wally dragged Ace by his arms towards the trunk of the car, pausing only to catch his much-needed breath.

Wally opened the trunk and took a quick look inside to make sure there was enough room to fit his victim. He closed his eyes and breathed in to try to maintain his calmness, though he still had tears on the brim of his eyes. He knelt down and wrapped his now visibly bloody arms around the Kid's chest and lifted him up towards the trunk. He first plopped the Kid's face forward into the vehicle as he pinned his back against him to keep him from falling back out onto the pavement. Using what little arm space he had left, he quickly reached for one of Ace's legs and began lifting the bottom half. Wally successfully slid the remaining body parts into the car's storage releasing a held in breath in the process.

Wally reached up and laid his bloody hands on the trunk door. Sorrow and regret filled his frightened eyes as he gave one last look at Ace's bloodied, broken figure.

He forcefully closed his eyes and slammed the door shut.

* * *

"Hey, has anybody seen Numbuh 4?" Numbuh 2 asked entering the main room in the tree house. It was Monday night, but they always met at the treehouse after school. To not show was simply out of the question.

Numbuh 5 turned a page in her Pre-Teen Magazine. "Numbuh 5 hasn't seen Numbuh 4 since he stormed out of school today." She said, knowing Numbuh 4's dilemma with Kuki. If only he'd just admit to himself that he has a heart, he wouldn't be so stressed or angry all the time. 'Stubborn', she thought to herself.

"Oh! I saw him today at recess!" Numbuh 3 said raising her hand with an oblivious smile. The other two operatives looked at her with blighted hope.

"I don't think that helps." Numbuh 3 went back to playing with her stuffed animals. Numbuh 2 looked at the clock that read 10:45. It was late, and even Numbuh 4 had never been that late. ' _I know he's probably just still upset. I really hope he's alright. I mean, how much trouble could Numbuh 4 possibly get into?_ ' Numbuh 2's stomach turned slightly, making him feel uneasy about his missing friend. That is, until he felt the relaxing touch of a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Numbuh 2," Numbuh 5 said in a calm, hushed voice. "He's just got a lot on his mind, that's all. Besides, everyone could use a break now and then. Numbuh 5 can't blame him." She smiled at him and sat back to continue browsing her magazine.

Numbuh 2 wanted to argue, as it was against the rules to skip out on meeting at the treehouse after school, but decided Numbuh 5 was right. 'Numbuh 4 is just being Numbuh 4 I guess.' He made a mental note to confront him about it at school the next day.

* * *

Numbuh 4 drove in deafening silence. His face was still covered, but you could still see the hardened fear in his eyes. He was stiff as he drove, and he was forcing himself not to look at his hands on the wheel. It was bad enough he could still feel the wet, he didn't want to look at it, too.

 _'Oh my God! What am I going to do?_ ' His thoughts were racing. _'Where am I even going? Where can I take him and not get caught?_ ' He tried to avoid unintentional speeding caused by the stress. 'I _could throw the entire car into a lake... No. I'd have to walk all the way back and someone might see me and get suspicious_.' He turned another corner. _'I could leave it in drive and send it off a cliff... No! There's a cruddy old man who lives out there!_ ' He was frustrated, and noticeably so. _'I could dump the body behind someone's house and frame them for it... I don't know how to do that! My hands have been all over this stupid thing_!' He became angry, but the rage that was previously aimed at himself now targeted Ace for trying to take Kuki away from him, for being in the way all the time, for causing this mess. Now, Wally was out of options and couldn't seem to find a way out.

With no other place to go, Wally drove into the driveway of his own house.

* * *

The front door to the Beatles' residence slowly and quietly slid open, the owner's oldest son's head peaking in. Wally tip-toed into his home to make sure his parent's or brother wasn't awake. He also needed a few things to aid him in taking care of Ace. He quickly rushed out the back door and crossed the yard to his dad's storage shed. hurriedly, he shoved several things into his backpack, several trash bags, two brand new rolls of duct tape, a long piece of rope, and a lighter. Then, he used both hands to lift a large container holding gasoline and dragged it through his back yard to the door of his gate, pausing only to unlock it from the back. He made his way back to the car when he heard it.

 _BUMP!_ It was faint.

Wally's heart, as well as every other part of him, stopped. In a panic, he completely froze. He tensed up, readying himself for someone to call out to him. _'Oh God! Someone's coming! Someone's here! I'm caught! I'm caught! Oh God! It's over!_ ' He looked around to see if he could determine where the sound came from. All he saw was night.

Confused, he slowly began dragging the gasoline tank with extra caution. He was listening for the noise when he heard it again.

 _BANG BANG BANG!_ He looked for the source and found that it was coming from the car. The back of the car!

 _'What?_ ' Wally thought to himself, relieved but surprised that Ace could still be alive. This made his stomach briefly flutter with happiness, but it quickly died down. His mind had already been made up. Before Ace was even in the trunk, he had decided what he wanted to do and he thought he had a decent plan to get rid of the evidence and body. He was going to drive out to the middle of nowhere and set the entire car ablaze.

"But if he's still alive..."

 ** _BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!_**

Wally had a chance now. A chance to not be a killer. _'But even if I let him out, he'd know what I did with him instead of getting help. He would make sure I paid for this_.' He didn't know what to do.

 ** _BANG BANG BANG!_**

 _'I don't to hurt him!_ '

 **"Help!"**

 _'But then Kuki would never love me..._ '

 ** _BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM_** **!**

* * *

Ace woke up in a dark box of some sort. "... Wha-What the hell?" His arm was broken and his back and knee hurt worse than anything. "Where am I?" All he could manage to do was kick and pound on the wall in front of him and hope he wasn't also buried alive. "How did I get here?" He was terrified and very confused. All he remembered was getting beat up by Numbuh 4 and watching his new stolen model...

"Numbuh 4 couldn't have done this. He's better than that." He shifted in the tight space and hit the wall a few more times hoping someone would hear him.

"HELP!" He tried calling out but all he heard was silence and his own fluctuating breaths. And it was beginning to ail him. He unwillingly began to whimper from the fear of being locked in a small space presumable by someone who wanted to kill him. He began to sob as tears began to fall down his dirt and blood covered face. He couldn't protect himself in this condition. In a last attempt to save himself, he began pounding and kicking the walls around him.

Then something clicked.

Ace stopped kicking and crying and looked at the small light that was pouring through the cracks. It wasn't any brighter than a normal street light. With his good arm, he tried to push the door open all the way. This could be the only chance to escape from wherever he was trapped. He wanted to get out and run away, but froze when he realized there was someone standing there opening the door for him.

When the trunk was all the way open, Ace was met with a dark masked figure who was holding a sharp knife pointed towards his face.

Ace tried to recognize his kidnapper without prevail. His face was hidden and his hair was covered by a dark hood. The assailant lowered his knife to Ace's throat, making the Kid swallow hard.

"Hands... Now." The stranger demanded in a low, deep voice. Ace wasn't sure what he meant, but slowly moved his good hand closer, cautiously. "Both of them," He added impatiently. Ace could tell the guy was rolling his eyes.

"I can't," He tried his hardest to explain without sounding weak. "M-my arm, it's broken." He held his bad arm to show the stranger he wasn't lying.

The masked stranger let out an impatient sigh and turned to something beside the trunk. A mere second later, he was back in position with a wooden bat. Ace's eyes widened the very moment the bat was raised. He let out a loud gasp before everything went black.

* * *

"911, what's your emergency?"

A Latino woman sat in her living room. She had been waiting all day for her son to return home, but now it was after midnight and he hasn't been seen by anyone. She even called the school and some of his friends. She was in tears as she spoke to the operator on the phone.

"My son never came home after school today. I am very worried." She tried pronouncing every word correctly in her grief.

"What's your son's name, miss?" The woman on the phone asked.

"His name is Simon Alcantar, but he is known to his friends as Ace." The worried mother sniffled as she patted her eyes with a tissue. "He is very talented and loves to play with his friends," She sniffed again, "But he never stays out late and he is always home by sundown. Please, is there anything you can do?" She cried into the phone.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll have an officer over right away. He'll have you write down everything we need to know on a written report sheet. Do you think you can find a picture of your son to give to the officer?" The operator remained calm.

"Ok," she tried to stifle her hiccup, "Ok, I'll find a picture right now." She hung up the phone and held it in her hands as she looked to her husband who was angrily sitting in his chair. "She say we should give the officer his picture and they will find him." She tried to mimic the woman's calm, but her emotions got the better of her.

"Ese niño aprenderá no llegar tarde otra vez!" He harshly ignored her desperation.

"¡No! ¡Hay una razón para esto!" She defended, not wanting her son to endure anymore of her husband's wrath.

Mr. Alcantar rose from his seat and walked over to stand face-to-face with Ace's mother. "Yo le enseñará a no salir de casa como esto otra vez." He spat coldly, quietly. Mrs. Alcantar lowered her face into her palms as her husband stormed out of the front door, slamming it behind him.

* * *

Ace began to peel his eyes open, moaning at this new pain shooting through this temples. His vision was blurry, but he could make out a small light hanging above his head. Around him were empty, colorless walls. It seemed as though he was the only thing in the small room at that moment.

That is until he heard a faint shuffle from behind him. He jerked his head in the direction only to be met with more pain in his head and his arm. That's when he realized his arms and legs were strapped to a chair with duct tape.

He was now officially a captive.

Ace struggled against his binds in a brief panic, careful not to inflict any more movement or pain on his broken bone. "Why are you doing this?" He shouted after giving up. "What do you want?"

The figure didn't speak. He walked around the Kid to look at him one last time, inspecting the splint he made for his arm. He had cleaned the Kid up, wrapped his wounds, and even picked a comfortable reclining chair to tie him to. Sure, he wanted to get him out of the way, but he didn't want to hurt him. He didn't want to hurt anybody, unless it was a fair fight. He felt like such a coward doing this behind a mask, but he couldn't bring himself to take it off. Doing so would make Ace believe this is what he really is and it isn't. It just isn't.

Of course he planned on letting him go... after the dance. He planned on covering his face and taking him somewhere he could easily find help for himself, and maybe even get off scott free. All he had to do was make sure Ace doesn't know who he is and he'll be able to-

"Numbuh 4..."

Nothing but Wally's heart beat could be heard. Ace wasn't struggling anymore. He wasn't yelling, or panicking, or even angry it seemed. He had his face down trying to hear the person behind him, closed his eyes and sighed disappointed at his kidnapper's confirming silence.

Wally stood frozen in place. ' _Great_ ,' He thought. _'Now what am I going to do?_ ' With plan A and Plan B both out, Wally now has yet another decision to make. He couldn't burn the body, though he was still planning on burning the car and the other evidence. Now he couldn't release him because now he knows his identity, which will lead to being caught. Wally was overwhelmed by the circumstances at hand. Nothing he did could fix anything at this point.

But it wasn't over yet.

No one knew about what happened tonight. No one, except Ace and himself. He still had a chance to get away with everything he's done. Ace might know the truth, but nobody else does. So if he can't let him go... then he'll just have to keep him.

Numbuh 4 gathered his thoughts and put on a hard face. With one hand, he removed the mask and stepped in front of his captive. Ace quietly looked up at his hooded face, unmoved by his presence. The two boys exchanged glares before Ace broke the silence.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked more sternly than before.

Wally turned to pick up his bag and walked up the stairs. "You just... wouldn't understand." He said with his back turned. He was done here.

The door to the basement slammed shut with a locking sound.

 **End of Flashback**

* * *

Wally sat on his bedroom floor looking at his ceiling, tears dried on his face. He hadn't quite thought his situation through. He never planned on hurting the Kid he currently held captive in his basement, but now he was sure he couldn't let him leave either. All he wanted was a chance to be with Kuki, and now he has one. Wally swore to himself he was going to ask her to this dance if it was the last thing he ever did.

But first, to change out of these bloody clothes...


	3. Convoluted

**This chapter isn't at all worth the wait. I know that and I'm sorry. I've been busy, things have happened, and writing wasn't my number 1 priority.**

 **I Intended to make writing this story unique and interesting, and I'm sorry if I havent delivered on that quite yet. It only took me like maybe a day or two to write the other two chapters each, and I had initially begun to write chapter 3 immediately after I uploaded the 2nd. However, right in the middle of the police interrogation scene, I had lost my job, my grandfather died, I had gotten into a car accident, my mother and 5 year old sister were stranded in freaking Egypt for way longer than intended because their flight left without them, I slowly began to fall into a state of depression, and when I decided to start another fanfic to help get myself back into writing and take my mind off my life, my 4 month old sister, who had just been born last September, unexpectedly passed away last month. I say "unexpectedly" knowing very well that it was a predetermined outcome. We were preparing for a short while, but it wasn't enough time. And when the moment actually came, it's just that you never really think it's actually gonna happen until it does and then what do you do? I'm not sure if I still need time or not, but I do want to at least try to do something other than what I'm doing now.**

 **I will admit, I was using my other, newer story to distract me from my real life, up until a month ago. However, I don't want my life to be woven into something I was hoping to make unique. I thought I had a really good idea and I still want to make it happen.**

 **Listen, if you're still reading this after so much time has passed, Thank you. I'm gonna try to remember what my storyline was supposed to be and update as soon as possible, though I can't actually make any promises.**

 **A quick heads up, you might see a change in style (like one half of the story might seem just like the first two, while the second half seems slow and dull). That's because I haven't written anything related to this story in about a year. I'm still trying to get back into it.**

 **Please enjoy.**

* * *

Ace had gone missing. The whole school was talking about it. It was on the morning news paper and missing person posters with the picture Ace's mother gave police were everywhere. It was hard avoiding the topic, but in a town where everyone knew everyone, it was inevitable.

Wally had avoided eye contact with practically everyone, and everyone returned the favor... for a different reason, of course. There had been so many people to visit the student councilor in just one day. People were disheartened and some were even crying, so everyone thought Wally's unusual behavior, which would normally be deemed suspicious, was to be expected. Groups were gathered, praying together, in hopes that the missing boy was at the very least safe. Wally sauntered down the hallway of the school where flyers of the Kid were being passed out to people walking by. There wasn't a lot of police officers, but there was enough to make Wally's insides boil.

 _'People freaking cared about 'em!'_ He screamed in his head. _'Everybody thinks he's their best friend! They have no idea what he's done to me...'_ He stopped at his locker and opened the lock. _'Stupid cruddy Kid. He deserved everything he got!'_ He angrily threw his books in as he heard a sniffle coming from behind him. His anger turned to sorrow upon seeing Kuki's broken-hearted tears, their two best friends behind her.

"N-Numbuh 4..." She sniffled again, "Have you heard about Ace?" Wally didn't answer. He didn't even change his sorrow expression. She turned her head slightly to the side. "I don't know. I just... was hoping maybe since you were headed in the same direction as him after school yesterday, maybe you would have seen where he went, or at least what happened." She reasoned, oblivious to how much sense it would make that he'd have something to do with it. His heart began to beat faster and faster as his guilt twisted in his stomach. It creeped onto his face for a second before being pushed down by his own will.

But for Abby, it was all she needed to read. She sighed in disappointment and lowered her head.

"Ummm..." He started his story. "Actually, Kuki, the thing is..." He needed to think. _'Oh God! Why didn't I come up with an excuse already! I should have done this earlier! Ok, think Numbuh 4! Think!'_ He looked at their hurt faces, waiting eagerly for him to continue. Kuki held both her hands near her chin. He could see she had been crying. Hoagie looked like he was hoping for some key evidence or clue to track Ace down. He was a detective on the side after all. And Abby... Wait, she doesn't look upset at all. _'Is she glaring at me?'_

"Yeah?" Numuh 3 almost sounded pleading.

Numbuh 4 knew he couldn't tell her the truth. "I... After awhile, I went down a different street. I'm sorry Kuki. I don't know what happened."

Her fallen face was all it took for him to begin to feel what he caused everyone else to feel. He felt like strangling himself, or kicking himself until he bled. Kuki didn't deserve to feel like this. He knew she'd be hurt, but he didn't expect her to be so heart broken. Who knows what kind of feelings the two shared together. Ace _was_ her date after all.

It made him sick to think how close he was to losing her forever. She almost had the time of her life with the wrong person. He could fix it now. He needed to ask her to the dance soon. But...

She seemed too upset to think of replacing Ace at the moment. Wally knew he couldn't ask that question right now. Not now.

"Oh..." Was all she said. Wally couldn't read her face, but her eyes told him everything he needed to know. He really messed up... But he was going to fix it. He couldn't undo his decision. Well, he could, but he really didn't want to. He was just going to have to move forward, and so was everybody else whether they wanted to or not. This was the easy part.

All he could do was watch her as she left... again, never knowing or understanding how he felt or why he does anything anymore. Oddly, the feeling was mutual.

His attention was cut short when he realized his other friends hadn't left with her.

Abby was standing with her arms crossed while Hoagie held an all too suspicious glare. Wally backed away defensively when they caught his arms, pulling him into a nearby janitor's closet.

The lights flashed on, causing him to have to blink a few times. Angrily, he went back onto the defensive.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" He nearly shouted. He tried to keep his voice low. Surely even he didn't want an eavesdropper. He didn't know where this was headed, but stayed alert none the less. These two knew how to get him to spill.

"Like you have to ask." Abby retorted.

"Wha-?" Wally was confused and was beginning to panic. _'How could I have given it away already? There's no way they could've figured it out so soon!'_ Wally tried to force his focus on the pair in front of him.

"So, Numbuh 4..." Hoagie went into bad cop mode, "We missed you yesterday at the treehouse. Care to explain?" He interrogated in the most cliché way possible.

"I wanted to be alone, so I went home." Numbuh 4 tried to defend himself and sound convincing at the same time, but Lord knew he couldn't multitask.

"But you _were_ going in the same direction as Ace after school. Odd path considering you live East." Hoagie pressed on, getting closer to the Aussie's face as he spoke. By then Numbuh 4 had sweat dripping from all sides, and Hoagie's incriminating gesture wasn't making him feel any better. He tried but couldn't think of a way out of it. He didn't want his closest friends to hate him for a simple mistake he made.

His mind and heart were both racing when a calmer, much more appeasing voice chimed in. "Numbuh 4," The girl behind them reached out and placed a hand on the nervous boy's shoulder. "I'm almost offended that you think you can lie to us." Numbuh 4 looked at the floor, avoiding both of his friends' gazes. "We can already tell that you know something we don't. And if you're not going to tell us, all we can assume is that you had something to do with it. Do you understand where I'm going?" Abby blessed him with a look that reassured him they still believed he was innocent. Numbuh 4's heart felt lighter as he thought of a way out of his mess. "You know you can trust us, right?" Numbuh 4 nodded. "Then is there something you want us to know?"

Numbuh 4 was still quiet despite having a plan. He wasn't even sure if it would work. Numbuh 5 decided to continue. "If you don't want to tell us, then can you at least tell us why?" She was annoyed, but still calm.

Numbuh 4 mustered the courage to try it. "I... I don't know what to do Abby..." He spoke quietly. Abby and Hoagie both backed off, confused by what he meant. "I don't know what to say. I don't know who to turn to. I just... I don't know." Numbuh 4 was truly sorry for what he'd done, but he needed to get out of where he was right now.

"What do you mean?" The duo was concerned, and shocked that they actually got something. They weren't really expecting the small boy to have insight on the crime at hand. As excited to finally have a lead as they were, they still needed to get the information out of their clearly stressed friend.

Wally, on the other hand, needed to lure their attention away from him. He looked at them with earnest eyes and immediately burying them into his palms. "I saw a Ace get into someone's truck." He squeezed his eyes shut tight as his friends gasped. He tried to remember what the other two vehicles in Ace's garage looked like. He knew his mother had the small, grey Volvo, and his father drove the...

"Numbuh 4, please, what did it look like?" Numbuh 5 said quickly. "Did you see who was driving it?"

"Why didn't you say that before?" Numbuh 2 simultaneously with the girl beside him. It was clear the two weren't that great at interrogating.

Numbuh 4 opened his eyes miserably. He was biting his lips, causing his eyes to water. He was quiet for a moment. "I didn't want to be the one that had to do all this..." He gestured to the walls around them, signifying the situation they were all taking part in at the moment. "... I'm afraid to tell someone... that the cruddy Kid's dad..." He trailed off, leaving Hoagie and Abby's mouth open, stunned by what they've leaned. Hoagie knew Ace's father wasn't the nicest, nor was he the most loving, but would he really hurt his on son? Hoagie turned away from the small group, knowing that his father would be the only person he could think of who would.

Abby was still in disbelief. She needed to know more. "Numbuh 4, are you absolutely sure?" She questioned.

"I followed him so that I could pound his cruddy face into the mud," He raised hands and his voice slightly, punching his fist into his hand, "But his dad came and picked him up near the old playground down the street from his house, a busted up red truck I think." Numbuh 4 explained his story. "But then... I show up to school the next day, and the cruddy guy's gone missing and stuff. Who'd believe a word I say?" He paused. "I really want to help, but I can't be the one to do this." He dropped his face back into his fingers and breathed out a few tears. "What if... I-I just can't." He breathed out shakily.

Abby believed she understood. He didn't want to be put in the spotlight, raising accusations, risk being called a liar due to his unreliable reputation, rejected by everyone, etc. She silently thought to herself a solution that could evidently solve all of their problems when it hit her. She grinned at the idea. "Numbuh 4," She became stoic, "Thank you for telling me. Don't worry, you won't have to deal with all of this on you're own." Numbuh 4's worry didn't subside as he watched her with woe. "Numbuh 5's got a plan. We're going to write a letter and put it where the principal is gonna find it. She'll give it to the police and no one will have to know who it came from. They'll investigate Ace's family themselves and figure it all out." She turned to Wally, who looked to her confident in her plan. "Is that okay?" She asked.  
Numbuh 4 gave her a small nod and the three exited the closet.

Wally breathed a sigh of relief before noticing Hoagie behind them, the most hurt out of the three. Wally was thankful the pair believed him, but the sight behind him made him cringe. Still, he did what had to be done and let Abby pull him by his arm down the hallway.

* * *

" _What?"_ A distraught, teary eyed woman looked at the two detectives in her living room. They had a few papers on the knee-high table in front of them, and they made sure to stop by the bereaved mother's house while she was alone. One of them was a bulky pale man with no hair on his head, the other was a darker woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun. Both were ominous in appearance and tone.

"Mrs. Alcantar," the darker woman addressed the mother shaken with disbelief, "Someone at the school your son attends say they saw Simon enter your husband's vehicle; a red pick-up truck with the left tail light out." The depressed mother stared at them as if she didn't understand a word the detectives were saying. The detective continued, "Now again," She spoke in a hard but calm voice, "Has your husband ever tried hurt you or Simon, for any reason at all?"  
She was speechless. She couldn't believe they were even asking such questions. Sure her husband and son didn't get along at the best of times, but he would never go this far. "Why are you asking this?" She questioned, disagreeing with their suspicion.

This time it was the man who spoke. His deep voice held stern, but sympathetic. "Your husband is at work right now, isn't he?" A brief silence lingered.

"wha- y...yes..." She was unsure how to answer. She loved her husband, but she loved her son, too. She wanted to help her innocent child, but could she really bring herself to incriminate the man she vowed to spend forever with? She wanted to save her baby boy, but how could she when it meant losing her husband as well? What if her son was already dead? It was a thought she had tried to ward away with hope, but it always crept back like a dark, misty fog. If her son was already dead, and her husband is blamed for it, she'd lose everything. She'd have no one left. He couldn't possibly have done anything like this. She knew deep down that her husband really did love their son, he just didn't show it the way everyone else showed their kids. She had tried to get them to cooperate in the past, with no prevail. All her efforts usually ended in a verbal fight or some other falling out. They couldn't be in the same room with one another, let alone the same car.

Which led her to another thought, was this somehow her fault? Did she do something to cause her family to be this broken? Her husband was never as bad as he was now before they had a child. And what if her presumption was correct about her husband being innocent? What if her son got into some one else's car, and left home on purpose? Running away wasn't out of the question yet, was it? But he didn't take anything from his room. He simply left school and disappeared. Her mind was running a mile before remembering she still had company.

"Then you understand there's nothing wrong with answering honestly, right?" The bald man had interrupted her lament. She was confused what he meant by that. How did his being at work somehow tie into things here?

"I am telling you everything I know, sir." She could feel herself growing desperate, so she breathed deeply to try to remain calm.

"Can you tell us what time he came home yesterday?" It was the female's turn to speak.

She had to remember. She was sitting at home waiting for both of them when her husband finally pulled up into the driveway late in the evening. "After 6:00. He got here at around 6:00." He usually stayed out all night. It didn't make much sense for him to be here so early in her opinion. Then again, it didn't make sense for him to gone so much in the first place either.

"Where was your husband between the hours of 3:00 - 6:00 yesterday evening?" The woman spoke calmly. She had been in this situation before.

"Yesterday?" Mrs. Alcantar struggled to think. She knew he'd been going out a lot recently, but she never actually knew where to. Just out. More alarming thoughts began to creep into her mind again, only this time she just couldn't block them out anymore. He had been leaving home, not going to work at all. He hasn't been here after work or on his days off. Where did he go? "I don't know where he went," was her answer. She wasn't oblivious of their suspicions, it only made more sense of things and it was killing her. What if he'd been planning this for a while, right under her nose? She began to tear up again. "I don't know where he was yesterday." She repeated more hopelessly than before.  
"He wasn't at work then?" The male detective pressed.

"No," She closed her eyes, "He hasn't been coming home. After work, he is gone. When he doesn't have to work, he is still gone." She hated answering these questions.

"So, while Simon was being... you know, taken away... you're saying he wasn't here with you, and he wasn't at work either?"

"I don't know where he was at the time." It was the only information she seemed to be able to give. It made her feel so useless.

"While your husband was gone, which vehicle did he take?" The answer was obvious.

"He only drives his truck." The mother didn't look at the two any more.

The pale man seemed to be putting two and two together. He sighed, "Mrs. Alcantar, when we receive anonymous tips from sources directly related to the victim or the victim's family," He clasped his hands together for emphasis, "We take said information and look into it as deep as we can." He wasn't as stern as he was before. "Someone from your son's school tipped us off that Simon got into a vehicle matching the description of your husband's truck. Unless someone else was driving it, we can only assume it was him."

Mrs. Alcantar didn't look at them as he said this. All she could feel was the stone cold semblance of betrayal. Neither grief nor anger could out shine the depressive realization; She didn't believe in him anymore. Now, she was finally convinced he had harmed her only child.

* * *

At the treehouse, all four friends gathered on the couch. They were all quiet.

Numbuhs 2 and 5 made a mutual agreement that Numbuh 3 shouldn't know that Numbuh 4 really did have insight on her predicament. They both agreed that, for Numbuh 4's sake, he shouldn't be caught lying to her face in hard times, a notion he was eternally grateful for. He felt better this way. Granted, he was hurting a lot of people in ways he didn't think was even possible, but he felt like his friends would defend him no matter what he told them. It gave him a sick high, a feeling he wasn't familiar with.

Numbuh 2 and Numbuh 5 were patient. They sat with their friends allowing the time to pass by knowing somewhere, progress was being made. The Kid was gonna have justice. It would all be over soon. Their friends were going to be alright. _They_ sat in patient optimism, but the duo next to them...

Numbuh 3 got up from the couch and solemnly sauntered to her room, leaving her three friends behind to worry for her. No one, however, was more disheartened by the scene than Numbuh 4. Without saying a word, his two friends both looked at him, implying he should do something... now.

After a brief hesitation, he sighed and conceded. He slipped off the sofa and began the long pace out of the main living area.

How much could he possibly mess up now? He's already done the unthinkable. He's abducted a boy, lied to everyone, framed an innocent man, and now he's probably about to manipulate the girl of his dreams and bend her to his will the way he did everyone else around them. Was he honestly worried about how she felt at this point in time? Now? After everything? His steps stopped in front of Numbuh 3's bedroom door.

He breathed in and tensed. Of course he was.


End file.
